


something, anything

by midnightdrives



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Music, F/M, Finn and Poe as a side couple, anakin is basically tom petty, han and luke own a music store, lots of music references, no i have never seen empire records, small town life, todd rundgren is the best
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-25
Updated: 2018-08-28
Packaged: 2019-06-15 23:01:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15423567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/midnightdrives/pseuds/midnightdrives
Summary: The music scene is alive and thriving in the small college town of Tatooine.Every day on her way to work, Rey would walk pass Millennium Records, the independent music store owned by former musician Luke Skywalker, son of the late folk rock singer Anakin Skywalker, and his long-time buddy and brother-in-law Han Solo.Every day from behind the glass window decorated with music posters, Ben would watch Rey walk to work at a nearby coffee shop.With a small alt music scene, these two audiophiles are bound to meet.- title from the Todd Rundgren album of the same name. all chapters named after a song from the album-





	1. i. intro

**Author's Note:**

> Titled after Todd Rundgren's album 'cause it was what I was listening to when I came up with the story.
> 
> Hope you like! I apologize in advance if I happen to insult any bands/musicians that you like.

Ben hated that every time he saw her, “Songbird” by Oasis would play in his head.

 

Firstly, from the whole idiotic Blur/Oasis rivalry, he always thought of himself as a Blur man. He much prefered the incredible dynamic between Coxon and Albarn than the back-and-forth insults between the Gallagher brothers. Although, recalling a recent interview he saw of Noel Gallagher with Pitchfork, the whole feud hilarious.

 

Still, every day in the morning, when the sky was a mixture of yellow, pink, and blue, she would walk by the store. Her short, curly locks of chestnut hair always pulled away from her face by colorful hair clips; and without fail, she always wore colorful patterns or bright solid colors. Every time his eyes landed on her, he felt as if he was in some kind of teen movie from the ‘90s.

 

 _She’s a little pilot in my mind_ , Liam Gallagher voiced sang in his head. _Singing songs of love to pass the time_.

 

He found out from a mutual friend that her name is Rey. She worked at a local coffee shop just down the street from Millenium Records, his father’s and uncle’s music store. He also knew she was the daughter of Jyn Erso, his parent’s old friend from college. He remembered hearing from Uncle Luke that she lived most of her life in Jakku with her mom, her adopted sister, Rose, and her step-dad, Cassian Andor.

 

Today, she wore a short black dress with daisy patterns and a pair of brown mary jane shoes. Her bright red headphones covered her ears and a carefree smile graced her delicate face.

 

 _Gonna write a song so she can see; give her all the love she gives to me_.

 

“We got some new records,” Luke said out of nowhere, startling Ben out of his daze.

 

He turned his attention away from the window to look at the box that his uncle practically dumped onto the counter.

 

“They came in yesterday, so they’re going out today.”

 

“Anything good?” Ben didn’t necessarily feel like talking, but he felt like he had to ask out of obligation.

 

“Got a used Bob Dylan in mint condition. Nashville Skyline to be exact.”

 

Ben nodded, his eyes shifting back to his laptop. He raised a bit of the volume to the music he was listening to. “I’ll tell Cory that we got the album he’s been looking for.”

 

“We also got more copies of Antisocialites and that recent Parquet Courts album.”

 

“You can never go wrong with Alvvays.”

 

Luke frowned. “The least you could do is act interested. Music is not something to ignore.”

 

“What makes you think I’m not interested?” The words came out as a mumble, his mind too preoccupied with whatever he was staring at on his laptop.

 

He only received an eye-roll from his uncle. “Anyways, I want you to post the new arrivals on Instagram later today.”

 

“Like every Friday,” Ben said.

 

“Exactly.”

 

There wasn’t much to do when it came to working at a record store. Ben spent most of the time listening to music and reading. He would occasionally get up to reorganize things after people came and went. He just had to make sure music was always playing. Frankly, it was every audiophile’s dream.

 

His dad, Han Solo, and Luke took ownership of the store after Ben Kenobi passed away, leaving the store to Luke in his will. It came at the perfect time, when Luke didn’t have any idea what to do with life or make it as a musician like his father, Ben’s grandfather.

 

The hometown hero. Everyone’s favorite folk rock singer.

 

Ben slouched in his chair behind the counter. “I’ll post them in a bit.”

 

“Great,” Luke said. He walked toward the door before looking back. “Also, there’s a really good Rundgren album in there. I recommend posting that first.”

 

*

 

Only a handful of people walked through Millennium Records’ doors that afternoon, though Ben reasoned that it was still too early.

 

The store was located in Downtown Tatooine, the side of town where punks, metalheads, and avid music fans hung out. The store was just a few blocks away from bars and clubs like Takodana, a club that had weekly shows featuring local bands.

 

On a Friday night, people were bound to head to the record store.

 

But the day went slowly as Ben sat behind the counter, his eyes concentrated on his laptop, watching nothing but vine compilations on Youtube. He had Loaded by The Velvet Underground playing on the turntable, “Rock & Roll” bursting through the large speakers that surrounded the store.

 

It was only 2 p.m., and he was trying hard to not think about the girl with the bright smile and delicate face. She usually walked passed the store at this time as well; he assumed that was when she got off work. Not that he’ll ever admit how much he paid attention.

 

But the store was quiet, save for the sound of Lou Reed’s voice, until fifteen minutes passed when the bell rung, signalling the presence of a customer.

 

“Is it still here?!” The voice was frantic and out-of-breath, as though they sprinted to the store. The British accent also took Ben off-guard.

 

He lifted his eyes from his laptop and met a pair of wide, hazel eyes.

 

 _A man can never dream these kind of things; especially when she came and spread her wings_.

 

Rey’s face was flushed. She wore her headphones around her neck instead of over her ears. She held her tote bag close to her chest and clutched her cell phone tightly in her hand, as though she was in a hurry to grab her things and rush over to the store.

 

It took Ben a moment to notice that she had asked a question. “What?”

 

“The Todd Rundgren album?” Rey said, walking to the counter. “I saw it on your Instagram account. Is it still here? Am I too late?”

 

Ben had to rake through his memories until a purple sleeve with three pink flowers popped into his head.

 

“Something/Anything?”

 

“Yes, that one!” She answered excitedly. Her face was full of hope, and it was all for just one record. The usually cynical Ben Solo somehow found it endearing.

 

_Whispered in my ear the things I like; then she flew away into the night._

 

“Yeah, we still got it.” Ben replied, earning him the most breathtaking smile he’s ever seen from Rey. It reached ear-to-ear, displaying her perfectly straightened teeth.

 

He got up from his chair and walked to the crate labeled “new arrivals,” Rey following closely behind him. His eyes skimmed through the titles before he finally reached the familiar album cover.

 

He held out the album to her. “Here it is.”

 

“This is amazing.” She held the album reverently in her hands. “I’ve been looking for it for so long.”

 

“It’s a really good album,” Ben said, walking back to the counter. He remembers Luke listing it as one of his favorite albums from the ‘70s.

 

“It’s only one of the first albums I’ve heard by him, which I think is a good way to start.”

 

Ben didn’t know how he was acting relatively calm externally when his palms were sweating. “I personally love ‘A Wizard, A True Star.’ I love how all the songs just blend together, you don’t even realize that the song changed.”

 

 _Talk of better days that have yet to come; never felt this love from anyone_.

 

She nodded. “I’m Rey, by the way.”

 

“Ben,” he said, returning the nod.

 

“Well, Ben, it seems like you know a lot about music.”

 

“I wouldn’t say that; we’re always learning.”

 

“Very true.”

 

He sold her the record, giving her a discount without her knowledge. She seemed to have calmed down from her high once the album became hers, though she kept telling him how excited she was to go home and listen to it on her turntable.

 

“It was nice meeting you, Ben,” Rey said as she walked to the door. “I guess I’ll see you around? It’s nice making friends to go to concerts with.”

 

Ben died inside, though he simply smiled. “Yeah, I’ll see you around.”

 

With that, she walked out the door and into the streets.

 

_She’s not anyone._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha! I solved the mystery of who Rey's parents are. 
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> \- [Intro](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LvsxFaEpymo) by Todd Rundgren (not really a song, just him talking. but it sounded good to title the first chapter as intro)  
> \- [Songbird](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU94V1q4c8) by Oasis (I'm also a Blur girl, but Oasis was one of my favorites in high school and I still jam to this song)  
> \- [Rock & Roll](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTsYHlnseJI) by The Velvet Underground (I just got Loaded on vinyl so this is the first thing that popped in my head when I wrote the scene)
> 
> [Antisocialites](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1n72aCdwdU&list=PLlLDP3W9rfLyWykkGDYuq4wR6gzyIdTrk&index=2&t=0s) is by Alvvays (one of my fave albums from last year) and Wide Awake! is by Parquet Courts(came out recently. also couldn't find a playlist on youtube, so here is a [song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-Bka7yNyKA)). Both are very good. Alvvays is very good when riding your bike.
> 
> Rey's dress that Ben describes is this romper that I got from a local thrift store (though I found the same one on [etsy](https://www.etsy.com/listing/511905774/1990s-rayon-romper-pantdress-black-and?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=basic%20editions%20romper&ref=sr_gallery-1-3)). I can say I got the dress for much less.
> 
> Also, the interview Ben mentions is this [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9T4tRkwvQ0). It's really funny, actually. The insult toward his brother comes at the end.


	2. ii. saving grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> alternatively titled: chelsea girl

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize in advance if I insult your taste in music!

Rey’s Monday morning playlist was her pride and joy. Every one remembered the day she stepped out of her room with a proud smile on her face as she declared the finished playlist to be her legacy.

 

It was a three hour long playlist filled with upbeat ‘80s tunes sung by women, starting with “Manic Monday” by The Bangles. 

 

It was the playlist she currently had playing from her cell phone, balanced on the edge of the sink, as she brushed her teeth. The strokes of her toothbrush was insync with her terrible dancing.

 

“‘ _ It’s just another manic Monday _ ,’” she sang, the words muffled by the toothbrush in her mouth. “‘ _ Wish it was Sunday. ‘Cause that’s my fun day _ .’”

 

“Rey!” she heard Rose yell from the other side of the door, followed by a hard knock. “Can you please hurry up? I also have to go to work.”

 

Rey cupped some water to rinse her mouth. “You’re not actually getting paid to have a show on the college radio. It’s just a club.”

 

She hit the pause button and grabbed her phone before opening the door, revealing her sister in a pair of Hello Kitty pajamas. “You have to be quick, though. I still need to put makeup on.”

 

As she walked back toward her room, she heard Rose yell from behind, “You’re pretty face can go a day without makeup.” 

 

“It could,” she yelled back. “I don’t want to, though.”

 

Rey and Rose lived in a small blue house behind Downtown Tatooine with their friend Finn. The place was messy, but had a unique charm. Empty bottles of beer was placed on the shelf above their TV, halloween decorations were still up from a year ago, and a My Chemical Romance poster was hung near the green coach they got from Goodwill (“In this house,” Rose said the day she brought the poster home, “we listen to MCR”). 

 

Initially, the two sisters moved to Tatooine for school, though Rey quit school after her first semester at the university, having transferred from the local community college. Only Rose was going to school, and Rey was left working at a coffee shop and just being herself. 

 

Thankfully her mom, Jyn, and her step-dad, Cassian, didn’t make her feel like a failure when she told them over the phone. She remembered how hard her heart was pounding against her chest, threatening to launch out of her body when the words came out of her mouth.

 

She was nothing but honest. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. The pressure of being the best at one of the most competitive universities wasn’t helping her. A particularly tough class stressed her out so much that she started smoking. She just wanted air to breath.

 

Expecting disappointment, her heart skipped a beat when her mom instead told her, “Do whatever you think is best for you, Rey. No one will know that better than you do. We got your back.”

 

After that, Rey hated how she forgot that although Jyn Erso might be a snarky hard-ass, she was capable of being nurturing and understanding. 

 

“I’ve been really obsessed with this video of this metal show,” Rose shouted from the bathroom. “There’s always something new every time I see it.”

 

“Send it to me. I need a new funny video to laugh at,” Rey said as she searched through her drawers for an outfit. The weather app on her phone it was going to be hot.“I’ve just been watching this video of Katy Perry just saying ‘wig.’”

 

They both laughed over funny videos for five minutes before the front door opened and Finn entered the blue house. 

 

Rey peaked out of her bedroom door to see Finn wearing the same clothes from yesterday. There was a glow to him and it took everything in her to not burst out laughing. Since he was the only one in their blue house to have a partner, Finn was always the one to do the walk of shame at least once every week. 

 

“Hey,” Rose said as Finn reached the hallway, in view for both the sisters. “How’s Poe? Had fun last night?”

 

Finn let out a long whistle. “Last night was very gay and that’s all I can tell you.”

 

Rey nodded. “I’m fine with that and I approve of all of it.”

 

Rey didn’t step out of her bedroom until she finally settled on a pair of mom jeans and her favorite black shirt with lavender flowers embroidered on it. She ran into the bathroom after Rose left to put her makeup on. 

 

“I have a conspiracy theory that Rey only wears makeup on the off chance that she might run into that guy at the record store,” Finn whispers to Rose. 

 

“I would agree,” she whispered back, “but she’s been wearing makeup ever since she came out of the closet.”

 

“You guys suck at whispering,” Rey yelled from the bathroom.

 

*

 

_ Rey used to ride her bike on the way to work. It was her way of staying fit without having to go to the gym. It also went with her aesthetic, as Rose pointed out one time, so that gave her some brownie points.  _

 

_ The bike was thin and yellow, which Rey considered to be the perfect color for a bike. She tied a crate to the handlebars as a makeshift basket. She liked riding it, going around the neighborhood and playing some music from her phone. She was able to look at all the nice houses that made up her little part of town and the trees that shielded them from the harsh sun. _

 

_ That was until one October morning last year when she almost ran into someone. _

 

_ She clutched the brakes on her bike, but she lost balanced and ended up falling into the nearest bush. _

 

_ “Oh my goodness, are you alright?” said a man, rushing out from a store. She was too busy hiding her face with shame to see who was assisting her. “Rey?” _

 

_ Despite her embarrassment, she looked up to see a man with brown eyes filled with concern. His hair was grey, though he didn’t seem older than her parents. He was most likely close to their age.  _

 

_ Beside him was a young man, probably in his late twenties or early thirties.  He was tall and skinny, though not lanky like her favorite indie boy, Michael Cera. His nose was long but she found that appealing in a way that would her sister asked “why?” His black hair was slicked back and reached the top of his shoulders. She can imagine that he would look very young if he shaved his facial hair.  _

 

_ She felt attracted to him, and that increased her urge to run far away. No sane person wants to embarrass themselves in front of someone they like. _

 

_ They both looked familiar, though Rey had to wrack through her memories to recall the times her mom and dad would look through old photos of their college days. She could remember Jyn Erso smiling fondly at an image of a young man with dusty blonde hair and a charming smile. Though she brought the photo to five-year-old Rey’s face and said, “If you see this man, do not trust this man. Or that scoundrel he hangs out with.” _

 

_ Rey was suddenly able to put a name to the face. “Luke?” _

 

_ “My goodness, I didn’t know you were living in Tatooine. Jyn didn’t tell me.” _

 

_ “She told me I should stay away from you,” she said, keeping her face down. “Something about you being too distracting.” _

 

_ The man beside Luke chuckled. “Yes, his daily rant about how overrated The Beatles are is very distracting.” _

 

_ Luke only rolled his eyes. “Enough of that, kid. You know Jyn, right? She’s an old friend from college.” _

 

_ “You referring to the infamous love triangle of the early 90s?” _

 

_ “That’s the one,” Rey said, a bit of sarcasm dripping from her voice. She gotten over her embarrassment and just wanted to leave. “But my step dad came out the winner.” _

 

_ Luke returned his attention to Rey. “How’s she and Cassian doing? They’re still in Vallt, right?” _

 

_ She nodded. “Have been since they got married and moved there from Jakku. Mom didn’t really like it there.” _

 

_ Luke chuckled. “Yeah, I do know that.”  _

 

_ Rey reached down to grab her bike. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I actually have to get to work.” _

 

_ She didn’t bother saying goodbye as she rushed down the street. Though she was able to hear the man beside Luke yell, “I like your shirt.” _

 

_ When she finally reached the cafe, she glanced down at her Jesus and Mary Chain shirt and blushed.  _

 

*

 

University students sat in the coffee shop with laptops in front of them, all focused on whatever was displayed on their screen. 

 

Rey didn’t understand the appeal of going to a cafe to do work unless there wasn’t any WiFi at home. When she was a student, she mostly stayed at home to work on her assignments, sitting in weird positions on her bed with her laptop in front of her. She always had a bottle of Coca Cola and a pack of M&M cookies beside her. 

 

She might have gained weight during those times, but at least she was productive. 

 

Rey had her phone connected to the speakers and soft indie rock tunes were playing throughout the cafe. 

 

The cafe had its own personality with wooden tables and booths, board games on bookshelves for customers, and a secret liquor cabinet that only sold after 5 p.m. A sign above the register had the cafe’s menu written in chalk and there were T-shirts with parodies of band logos nearby. 

 

It was as if someone opened a coffee shop inside their own home. 

 

Since there was no one in line, Rey began to make herself a matcha latte.

 

“Hey Rey, are you doing anything this weekend?” Jessika asked as she emerged from the backroom. 

 

“I’m thinking about watching Riverdale and getting drunk,” she answered. “Season two is on Netflix and I need more trashy shows to watch.”

 

Jessika frowned. “Please don’t put yourself through that.”

 

Rey took a sip of the matcha latte she finished making. “It’s too late! I need to laugh and I heard there was a musical episode.”

 

“Well I know something better you can do.”

 

“What can be better than getting drunk on wine and laughing non stop at Jughead calling himself a weirdo?”

 

“My band has a show this Saturday at Takodana.”

 

“Oh yay! Then forget fucking Riverdale. I’ll be there!”

 

Jessika clapped her hands together. “Perfect! Also make Rose come.”

 

“I’m gonna text her right now,” Rey responded, already reaching for her phone in her back pocket. “Do you need me to ask Finn to come too?”

 

“Nah, I already told Poe, so he got that covered.” Jessika leaned against the counter. “He’s even going to try and get one of his coworkers to come.”

 

“Oh, really?” Rey hoped she looked calm. She remembered Finn telling her a month ago that Poe started working at the record store. Just the idea of seeing Ben at Takodana made her a bit giddy.

 

“Yup,” Jessika replied, obviously not taking notice to the flush of pink that appeared on Rey’s cheeks. Though she was wearing blush so she could just blame it on that.

 

Now Rey had something to look forward to this week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm soooo sorry it took so long for me to update. I've been busy since the I posted this story (I had to move and I was dealing with finals and such). I'm on my last year of undergrad and so I'm gonna be hella busy, but I'll try to update this story as much as I can. 
> 
> Here is a [character playlist](https://open.spotify.com/user/1233378580/playlist/2guH20Nm9E3nnrXwBU6gQg?si=FBTSsn2lThKZ69I23xNmmQ)t for Rey. I kind of think you can tell a lot about a person by what they listen to. 
> 
> Songs for this chapter:  
> \- [Saving Grace](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je2kBQYQi9g) by Todd Rundgren  
> \- [Chelsea Girl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nj7h70RdI_c) by Simple Minds (These are the guys that sang the song from The Breakfast Club. They're so underrated and people need to hear their other songs cause it's good!)  
> \- [Manic Monday](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsmVgoXDq2w) by The Bangles  
> \- [My Little Corner of the World](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=os-_CyWGOQo) by Yo La Tengo (this song is actually a cover. I think it fits perfectly with Rey and how she sees Tatooine)  
> \- [Blue Cheese](https://courtneybarnettandkurtvile.bandcamp.com/track/blue-cheese) by Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile (I just imagine this song playing in the cafe. Also, I could't find this song on Youtube. But it's on Spotify, along with their whole album Lotta Sea Lice. It's a very good album, it came out last year during the fall. )  
> \- [Anything Could Happen](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7tf1wzg4rdE) by The Clean (Very upbeat song. I think the title explains it all)
> 
> I unfortunately don't have a Monday Morning playlist of just 80s bops by women. It's inspired by my Girl Pop Galore playlist. But I can tell you that other songs that are probs in there are [Borderline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSaC-YbSDpo), [Material Girl](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6p-lDYPR2P8), and [Open Your Heart](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snsTmi9N9Gs) by Madonna; [We Got The Beat](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCk9qrIGG_E), [Vacation](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fQESUBMwGg), and [Our Lips Are Sealed](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3kQlzOi27M) by The Go-Go's; [Talk To Me](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Y_fK7Tt9o0) by Stevie Nicks; that's all I can think of right now.
> 
> The idea of the My Chemical Romance poster in the living room was inspired by my friend's old apartment. Though, it was a Weezer poster, specifically the Green Album cover art. 
> 
> So the video that Rose mentions is a from this [tweet](https://twitter.com/danozzi/status/1019970084733792257) from a music journalist that I follow. He also wrote an [article](https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/pawg9y/which-person-in-this-ridiculous-hardcore-pit-is-your-favorite/) about it. It's very funny and my favorite guys are the ones that are swinging their feet around. 
> 
> The video Rey mentions is this [one](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KT93qksbOyE) that I found on Youtube. Honestly guys, Katy Perry is irrelevant. It's harsh but no one cares about her and her music. Also I liked her when she came out with her first album, but then everything after was just "bleh."
> 
> Also don't kill me about the Riverdale comment! But come on, we all have to agree that it's not a good show and its only fun to watch when your drunk.


End file.
